


The Ghost of Emerson Campus

by Emachinescat



Category: Nancy Drew - Carolyn Keene
Genre: Angst, F/M, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Mystery, Post-Mystery of the Glowing Eye, Romance, Yellowspines
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-10-14
Updated: 2011-02-05
Packaged: 2018-01-14 09:01:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 10,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1260646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emachinescat/pseuds/Emachinescat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nancy, Bess, and George are planning on spending a weekend at Emerson College with their respective boyfriends, but after a tragic accident, a missing person, and a ghost light, they get more than they bargained for. Post-Mystery of the Glowing Eye</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Don't own, for entertainment purposes only.
> 
> Enjoy :)

Rain slashed violently against the windshields and lightning split the sky into. Eighteen-year-old Nancy Drew squinted and tried to see the road that seemed to stretch endlessly in front of her.

"Oh, Nancy!" squealed a blonde, plump girl sitting in the back seat of the red convertible. Luckily, the top was up and the passangers weren't soaked to the bone. "Oh, Nancy!" repeated the girl, whose name was Bess Marvin, utterly terrified.

"Don't be a baby, Bess," came another voice from the passenger seat of the vehicle. It was Bess's cousin, George Fayne. She had short black hair and dark eyes that were full of fun.

"I'm not a baby!" Bess protested.

"Bess, George-please," said Nancy. "I can't concentrate...this storm is getting really bad...hopefully we'll reach Emerson College soon."

The three girls were on their way to visit their boyfriends-Ned, Burt, and Dave-that went to Emerson College, when a gigantic storm had hit. Now Bess was frightened (although she refused to admit it), George was ticked off, and Nancy was struggling to stay on the road. The wind rattled fiercly through the trees, and Bess supressed a squeal. George rolled her , after what seemed like hours, the girls saw a sign through the heavy rain that read: Welcome to the Emerson College Campus. Guest parking to the left.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you..." muttered Bess, seemingly to nobody. Nancy and George exchanged amused glances. Of the three of them, Bess had always been a bit more frightened. George didn't exactly make it any easier, though, for she was constantly teasing her cousin about it.

Nancy turned left and they rode in silence for a while. Bess ws relieved to be on campus and so looked absent-mindedly out the window towards the dense woods that surrounded the campus. Suddenly she let out a shrill yelp. George jumped, and Nancy swerved sligtly, but quickly gained control of the car. "What is it, Bess? Are you alright?" Nancy asked, alarmed.

"N-no," whispered Bess. "In the woods, I saw..."

"Saw what?" snapped George impatiently."A light. Just floating. A big ball of light. Wandering through the woods. It was coming toward us. I think-I think it's a ghost!"

"Oh, honestly, Bess," said Nancy, laughing slightly. "You of all people should know that there are no such things as ghosts!"

"No, but I know what I saw..."

"Probably your imagination," said George. "You seem to think everything is-NANCY! LOOK OUT!" she screeched suddenly.

Nancy slammed on her brakes. Seemingly out of nowhere, a college-age boy had appeared in the middle of the road. Nancy rolled down her window and yelled into the rain and thunder, "SORRY!" But he was gone. Unable to believe that he could have hurried off that quickly, without someone seeing him, Nancy opened the door and got out of the car.

"Nancy, where are you going?" called Bess out of the window. Nancy, however, ignored her, and started looking around for the boy. He was nowhere to be found. "Hmm," said Nancy to herself, "that's odd. I guess he ran off so quickly that we didn't see-"

She was cut off by a shrill scream. "NANCY, LOOK OUT!" Nancy turned around to see a large blue car heading straight for her. She stood rooted to the spot, frozen with fear. The car swerved violently so as not to hit her...there was a squeal of tires, splash of water, and a loud crash...then everything was silent.

"Oh no!" breathed Nancy. She, in her foolishness, had caused a car accident. Why had she gotten so scared? Normally she kept a cool head in the face of danger...what was wrong with her?

Bess and George jumped out of the car and joined her on the side of the road. Nancy shook herself and then took control of the situation. "Bess, you drive up to the school. Tell them there has been an accident. George, you stay with me. We'll try to help the people inside as best we can." Both nodded, and Bess drove off toward Emerson College.

Nancy and George headed down the bank to where the car lay, steaming. It was upside down, and no sound came from inside. Nancy and George looked at each other nervously. They attempted to wrench the door of the car open, but it wouldn't budge. So they awaited the ambulence and police officers, panic rising in their hearts. Soon, after what seemed like an eternity, they heard the sound of wailing sirens.

"Where's the wreck?" a muscular police officer yelled over the rain, thunder, and sirens. Nancy pointed. Many men ran down the bank and opened the door to the car.

"Are the passengers okay?" Bess cried loudly.

"Just one...he's...unconcsious...he's alive...I think he may have a few broken bones, though..."A few minutes later, they came back up the hill with a stretcher. Nancy looked at the unconscious form laying upon it...and nearly fainted. It was Ned.


	2. Chapter 2

Nancy paced the waiting room floor restlessly."Nancy, please calm down," begged Bess. She and George had accompanied Nancy and the paramedics (who, of course, had Ned) to the hospital.

"Yeah," agreed George, "you're going to wear a hole in the floor and then someone will fall in it, and-"

Nancy smiled slightly. "I'm sorry, Bess, George," she muttered. "It's just-I'm so worried about Ned." Tears filled her eyes but she mangaged to keep her voice steady.

"Don't worry," comforted Bess. "He'll be fine." She paused, then asked, "Have you gotten ahold of his parents yet?"

"Yes, and Dad too." Carson Drew was a tall, handsome lawyer who was always there for his only daughter. "They said the'll be here as soon as possible...I didn't tell them the whole story...Mrs. Nickerson will hate me after she finds out what I did to Ned."

"Nancy!" said George, with such ferocity that Nancy looked up, suprised. "I have never seen you break down like this. Ned has gotten into scrapes before. You and I both know he'll be fine."

"Yes, but I was the cause..I did it."

"You most certianly did not," said Bess defiantly.

"It's just...Mrs. Nickerson was so terribly worried about Ned."

As if on cue, the E.R. doors swung open and Mr. and Mrs. Nickerson, Ned's parents, and Carson Drew, along with the motherly houskeeper, Hannah Gruen rushed into the waiting room. Nancy hurried to meet them."How is he?" Ned's mother inquired. Her eyes were red and her voice shook with emotion.

"I don't know. We haven't heard anything yet," Nancy replied. Her guilty concsience bothered her and she suddenly burst out, "Oh, I'm so sorry! It's all my fault!

"The three adults sat down in the hard chairs alongside the girls, and Nancy related the full story to them. "I'm sorry," she repeated in conclusion. "I don't know what came over me...I normally don't freak out like that, but when I saw his car coming at me I was rooted to the spot."

Mr. Nickerson smiled sadly, bravely. "No dear, it was not your fault. Anyone would have reacted like that. Ned won't blame you either."

Despite the man's comforting, and her father's arm around her shoulder, and Hannah's patting her knee, Nancycould not stop worrying. Her heart only beat faster with dread, excitement, and anticipation as a nurse poked her head in and said, "Who in here is with Ned Nickerson?"

Immediately Nancy, Bess, George, Mr. and Mrs. Nickerson, Mr. Drew, and Hannah stood nursesmiled slightly. "My, Mr. Nickerson must be popular."

"Yes...is he okay?" the boy's mother asked fearfully.

"Let's go in the back and talk," the nurse suggested, glancing aroundat the curiouseyes that were scaning the large group in the crowded waiting room.

"Lead the way," said Mr. Drew simply.

The nurse did just that. She did not speak until they came to a small, empty examining room. Then she said, "Well, I'm sure you're all anxious to see how he's doing. Ned is going to be fine, but it'll take a while to recover." She took a deep breath, then continued. "He is in a coma right now, but it isn't severe. The doctor is sure he'll wake up in three days at the most. He has four broken ribs, a small concussion, and a broken leg." She smiled sadly, and said to the anxious group, "But I'm afraid he won't be playing football anytime soon."

At that moment, another nurse rushed into the room. "Are you the family of Mr. Nickerson?"

"Yes, what's wrong?" Ned's father inquired hastily."He's slipped deeper into the coma and his pulse is slowing down. The doctor is afraid he's suffering from more internal injuries than the Catscan picked up. We're putting him on a ventelator for breathing, and when he becomes stable enough, an MRI will be necessary."

The group sat in stunned filled Nancy's eyes and the floor seemed to waver. She blacked out and pitched forward, not aware of her father's strong arms catching her and the cries of alarm from her friends. Her last conscious thought was, "Oh, Ned...what have I done?"


	3. Chapter 3

Nancy awoke to someone frantically shaking her shoulder. She opened her eyes to see her father and friends' anxious faces above her, along with several nurses.

"Are you okay?" Mr. Drew asked, worry etched clearly in his face.

"Yes..." said Nancy, rubbing her head. It hurt where she had hit the floor. The nurse quickly checked her out and declared her fine. But then Nancy remembered why she had passed out in the first place.

"Oh no!" she exclaimed, jumping up. "Ned! I can't believe what I've done to him!"

"Relax," her father said sternly. "It was not your fault. Ned will be fine."

"Yeah, he's right," Bess chimed in. "Don't worry."

Nancy swallowed, and apolagized for being so emotional. Mrs. Nickerson smiled faintly and said, "Why, there's no reason for you to be sorry...we're all emotional tonight, as we've had a great shock and care about Ned. But don't fret. He'll be fine in no time."

Nancy nodded and tried to convince herself that very thing. "When can I see him?" she asked.

"Not for a while, " a nurse replied. "He's in ICU right now, on a ventilator, as I already said, and it won't be until after the MRI and he's stable enough that he can have visitors."

It took all Nancy had to conceal her disappointment, but instead inquired, "What shall I do until then?"

The nurse smiled compassionately at the girl. "I have a perscription for you," she said. "One, don't worry. Two, go home." When Nancy began to protest, she merely held up a hand and continued. "Three, get some sleep. Four, when we give you a call, come see Ned. And finally, don't worry."

Nancy smiled slightly and remarked, "You already said that."

"Oh, I knew that," the nurse assured her. "I just wanted to emphasize my point. Seriously though," she said, "Don't fret. He'll be fine."

As Nancy rode home with her father, her mind was buzzing with questions. Who was that mysterious boy that she had nearly hit? And why was Ned driving out of campus in the middle of the night when he knew the girls were coming? And did Bess really see a light in the forest? If so, what was it? Was something mysterious going on?

Nancy didn't know for sure, but it was her intention to find out.


	4. Chapter 4

Nancy awoke at ten o'clock the next morning. She chided herself for sleeping so late, then dressed and went downstairs.

"Why, hello, Sleeping Beauty," her father greeted her affectionatly.

"Hi, Dad," Nancy said. "Have you heard from the hospital yet."

Mr. Drew frowned. "No, I haven't. Everything will be fine, though. Do not  
worry."

That was much easier said than done, but Nancy decided that the best thing to do would be to work on the mystery. She had mused over all the happenings before falling asleep the night before, and had decided that they couldn't be mere coincidence. She had decided that she would go to Emerson College inspect the site of the wreck. She then would talk to some of the students and see if they knew who the mysterious figure was. 'And maybe find out about that strange light as well,' she added.

Her father was hesitant when he heard her plans. "I suppose you can go," he finally said, "but take Bess and George along. If something is happening up there, I don't want you to get hurt."

Bess and George said they were eager to come along, and, with the promise they would hear from Mr. Drew the second something happened with Ned, the girls set  
off to the college.

Upon arriving, the girls stopped at the accident site and studied the ground.

"There doesn't seem to be anything out of place here," Nancy said, frowning.

"Nancy! Bess! George!"

The trio stood up to greet Burt and Dave. "How are you girls doing?" Burt asked.

"We've been better," Nancy replied truthfully.

"How's Ned?" Dave asked worriedly.

"He's in ICU," Bess said.

"Oh," Dave said.

"He's going to be fine," Nancy said, trying to assure herself as much as she was her friends.

At that moment, a large black van sped down the road toward the group of young people. When it neared them, it didn't slow down, but increased speed. The teenagers darted out of the way, but Nancy, caught in the rush, tripped and fell right into the path of the van, which sped up and raced toward the youth at an alarming rate.


	5. Chapter 5

Nancy leapt out of the way seconds before the car whizzed by. Taking in deep breaths, she gasped, "That was close."

The others looked at her, alarmed. "Nancy, I think that man was trying to run you over," Bess stated, her voice quivering in fear.

Nancy was inclined to agree, but instead of saying so, she asked, "That man? So he was a male? You saw him?"

"Well…not exactly," Bess muttered. "I guess I just said that."

Nancy nodded, disappointed.

"Are you sure you're okay?" George asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," the sleuth answered. "What about you guys?"

"Oh, we're fine," Burt said, smiling wanly.

The others agreed and Bess added, "I'm a little frightened, but okay, I guess."

Nancy asked, "Did anyone get a good look at the driver?" Much to her disappointment, the others as well were too busy in trying not to get run over that they were unable to get a good look at the driver.

"Did you girls come up here to tell us how Ned is doing, or is there something more at work here?" Burt asked.

"Actually, some weird things happened before the accident last night. We wanted to ask about them," Nancy informed the boys.

"Well, we might be able to give you some information. Shoot," Dave said good-naturedly.

"First of all, why was Ned leaving when he knew we were coming to visit?"

"What?" Burt asked, sounding confused. "Actually, we were rather surprised to see you here last night—Ned got an e-mail that you weren't able to come, and but that he could come see you. He was leaving to go to your place, Nancy." Seeing the bewildered look on the girl's face, he added, "But you didn't send it, did you, Nancy?"

Nancy slowly shook her head.

"But why would someone go to the trouble of sending an e-mail to Ned, getting him to come to your house?" George asked doubtfully.

"It could have been an attempted kidnapping," Bess put in. "The person who did all this could've sent the e-mail and then, when Ned got to a certain spot, they'd nab him. Then when you got here, he wouldn't be around, but maybe by the time you arrived, they would be long gone. But when he wrecked, it ruined his plans."

Nancy frowned. "That's possible," she mused, "but there may be something else behind it."

"Hey, Nan—what if it had something to do with that guy you saw right before Ned came by!" George exclaimed.

"What?" Dave asked, a frown creasing his forehead.

"That's another thing we wanted to ask about," Nancy informed him. "Before Ned came along, a teenager—eighteen or nineteen, probably—walked right in front of the car. It was so dark, I couldn't get a good look at him, but I believe he had dark hair and was muscular. I didn't see him, so I stopped and apologized…except he was gone. Just like that."

"Hmmm…" Burt muttered. "Dark hair, muscular build. Well, Nancy, I'm sorry to tell you this, but half the guys here look like that, including Ned. It could be anyone. And maybe he had nothing to do with the e-mail."

Nancy was inclined to agree. "Bess, tell them about the light."

Bess perked up at once. "Oh, oh!" she squealed. "It was so freaky! I was just staring out the window one minute, and the next, I see this spooky light from the forest. It was like a ball of light…maybe a lantern? But it was very ghostly."

To the girls' dismay, Dave and Burt were not able to divulge any information about the light either.

"Well, girls," Nancy said, her mouth set in a grim but determined line, "it looks like we have another mystery on our hands."


	6. Chapter 6

When Nancy awoke the next morning, she came downstairs to see her father on the phone, talking low and hurriedly to someone on the other line.

"…Of course, we will be right there…Yes…Of course…Yes, yes, good-bye."

"Dad?" Nancy asked, fearing bad news. "Who was that?"

"That was the hospital."

"Oh, so Ned has woken up?" Nancy said excitedly. "Is he okay?"

"Well…" her father hesitated to answer her queries.

"Oh, no," Nancy groaned. "I should have known. What's wrong with him?"

"Well, Nancy, he has woken up, but…seems to be delirious. He keeps yelling out your name, telling us he needs to tell you something. He was babbling about a light of death, his eyes wide and vacant. And he kept saying a name over and over."

"My name?"

"Besides yours. He was saying, 'Cyclops'."

Nancy paled. " Nancy, dear, are you alright?" Her father was by her side in an instant.

"No, not him," Nancy breathed. "No, it can't be. He's in jail, isn't he, Dad? He has to be!"

"Who?"

"Cyclops. If it's really him, Ned's in grave danger. He must be so angry after what happened…Dad, if my hunch is correct, the person behind this isn't going to stop until Ned is dead!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The flashback in this chapter was taken directly from "Mystery of the Glowing Eye."

"Nancy? What do you mean?" Mr. Drew was genuinely concerned not only for Ned, but for his daughter. She seemed like she could pass out at any moment.

"Oh, Dad," Nancy gasped, "this is so bad."

"What is bad, Nancy? Do you know who is behind it all?"

"I…think I do," Nancy said softly.

"Who?"

"Oh, Dad, don't you remember?" Nancy moaned. "From about five months ago? When Ned was kidnapped?"

"By Crosson? Oh, yes, he did call himself Cyclops, didn't he?"

"Yes. He must be angry with Ned, because he wouldn't give him his invention."

Nancy's mind went back to five months ago, as she read some notes that Ned had left in the bunk he had slept in while he was being held hostage by a madman…

* * *

_The note said, "Cannot understand why I was kidnapped when Cyclops could have stolen what he wants if he had waited a little longer."_

_There were other notes written the following day. One read: "Am being pretty well fed and comfortable, but this madman threatens me with a gun whenever I move."_

_There was a daily series of notes telling of Ned's treatment, how one ankle was chained to the bed, and his captor's endeavors to keep him away from the lab even when he let him get a little exercise._

* * *

"Dad, Ned was threatened with a gun the first time he was kidnapped, when Zapp Crosson wanted to force him to give up the invention. Now, if Crosson is out for revenge against Ned, he could be much more brutal! He wants Ned dead, I'm sure of it!"


	8. Chapter 8

Nancy and Ned had a perfect relationship. One many couples only dream of achieving. Sure, they both had their faults. They got into arguments, and became jealous when the other conversed with another person of the opposite sex. But they truly loved each other, and that made what they had much more special.

There had been times, however, when Nancy had feared that Ned may break up with her because of her career choice, for he had been involved in some harrowing situations, all due to thrill for adventure. Each time he had stuck it though, but each time something happened, Nancy feared he might end it forever.

There had been the time Ned had been kidnapped and held in an abandoned cabin, to prevent her to go to Africa to solve The Spider Sapphire Mystery. There had been times when he had been knocked unconscious, and tied up, like when Nancy was involved in The Thirteenth Pearl. He had also been in some hair-raising predicaments, like getting discovered as a hideaway on a poacher's ship during

The Mystery of Crocodile Island. All had been emotionally and physically exhausting to the two young sleuths, but the worst, they both knew, was when he had been kidnapped by the madman, Zapp Crosson.

True, that was one time where Ned hadn't been kidnapped because of Nancy's detective work. But it was still traumatic for them both. That time, Ned had been taken prisoner by a person in one of his college classes. Zapp Crosson, like Ned, had a brilliant mind, but, quite unlike the young man, had a poor work ethic and a great lack of patience. He had invented a light-a light that was amazing, but had dangerous powers as well-that would temporarily stun victims.

However, he needed something Ned was making to complete it.

He had kidnapped him, using a helicopter, and taken him to three different hideouts, but Nancy never found him. They would change locations at a fast rate.

Finally, one evening, Nancy caught Zapp in the madman's own lab. The man was arrested, but refused to say a word as to where Ned was. Not long after, a helicopter flew onto Emerson Campus's lawn, with Ned Nickerson piloting! He told Nancy of his kidnapping, imprisonment, and daring escape. But Crosson had swore he would get revenge. And Nancy now feared that he was getting it. Crosson had

been called "Cyclops", and wasn't that what Ned had been screaming about?

Nancy was shaken out of her reverie as her father touched her shoulder. "Nancy, dear, maybe you are overreacting. Zapp Crosson is in jail. Perhaps the reason Ned was saying "Cyclops" is because he was having nightmares from when he was a captive there."

At that moment, the telephone rang. "Hello?"

"Nancy, is that you? This is the Chief. I've got a bit of bad news. You remember that maniac, Zapp Crosson, or 'Cyclops'? Well, he escaped from jail three days ago and has sworn that he will get revenge on your boyfriend, no matter the cost. Ned is in grave danger, Nancy. Crosson had cutouts of him all over his cell, and they were all slashed with 'kill him' written in red ink."


	9. Chapter 9

The sun was setting on the town. The sky was a glorious mixture of blues, pinks, oranges, and greens, and, as a church bell chimed nine times, a figure stood outside of the local hospital…waiting…

* * *

"What are we going to do?" Nancy asked her father, tears threatening to spill over. "Crosson really has it in for Ned, and now he's escaped!" She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, trying to ward off the sobs. Unsuccessful, she wailed, "Oh, Dad, this is all my fault!"

Carson Drew put his arms around his daughter and held her close. "Honey, you can't blame yourself for this," he said firmly. "You didn't cause Crosson to hate Ned."

"No," Nancy admitted, "but if I hadn't been a detective, then this never would have happened."

Her father chuckled, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. "Nancy, this has nothing to do with your career choice."

Nancy shrugged. "I guess not."

"I'll tell you what," Carson suggested. "Let's head on up to the hospital in a few hours and see if Ned's woken up yet. Then we'll figure out our next step."

Nancy nodded, and, heart heavy with fear and a twinge of guilt, she left the room.

* * *

Larry McCrawn, a new employee in the hospital, struggled to break free of his bonds, but the efforts were futile. There was no telling how long he would be here, lying tied up in an abandoned supplies closet, waiting for rescue to come, wearing only his long underwear…

* * *

The nurse walked into the hospital room, making sure it was empty, save for the patient. His unruly red hair poked out from under his hairnet, making him look like a medical form of Bozo the Clown. He approached the bed, and, seeing the patient's brown eyes begin to flicker, pulled out a hypodermic needle and plunged it into his arm. The boy fell limp.

Smiling evilly, the nurse went outside, only to come back in with a stretcher. He placed the boy on it, covered him with a sheet, and begin to run down the hallway at top speed, yelling "Emergency!" He got to the ambulence, then making sure no one saw him, moved away to a black sedan. Opening the backseat, he took the unconscious boy from the stretcher and laid him carefully on the seat. He saw a doctor running out, screaming for him to stop. Grinning manically, the man shoved the stretcher at top speed towards the doctor, who got hit full force. He crumpled to the ground.

The kidnapper jumped into the car and drove off at top speed.

* * *

Two hours later, Nancy Drew went up to Ned Nickerson's room to find that no one was there…Crosson had succeeded.


	10. Chapter 10

Images, floating images...they swam around aimlessly in Ned Nickerson's head, threatening to drive him to insanity...An e-mail from Nancy...she wasn't coming to see him. Why wasn't she coming to see him? But he could come and see her. That was good. Getting into his car, driving down the road. A girl, a beautiful girl-an angel?-standing in the middle of the road. What was she doing? She was going to get hurt! Swerving so he wouldn't hit her, trying to gain control of his vehicle...The crunching of metal, the aroma of smoke, the searing pain as his world went black...And screams...fog...Waking up in a hospital...Getting a phone call on his hospital room phone from Zapp Crosson, vowing his revenge...Warning Nancy...Wanting Nancy...Blackness...Distant, evil, laughter...A man with red hair...then nothing...

Ned opened his eyes for a short moment. They focused on the red-haired man standing over him, the evil smile on his face glinting like a knife. Then pain overtook him again and he felt himself falling...falling...falling. The black abyss took over and he was alone with his nightmares once more.

* * *

The sound of a persistently ringing phone roused Nancy from her uncomfortable slumber. She sat up straight, a stiff pain in her neck, and opened her eyes. She was in a chair in the police station, her father, whose shoulder had served as a pillow, in the chair beside her. She had fallen asleep reluctantly after she had told the police all she knew about Zapp Crosson and his relationship with Ned. The police had promised to get back with them as soon as they could dig up something, and told them to stay put in the meantime. Nancy glanced at her watch. 5:00 PM. It had been two hours, and still nothing.

The officer at the desk picked up the phone and said, "Hello?"

He listened intently to someone on the other line, the frown lines on his face getting deeper by the second. "Someone is calling for a 'Ms. Nancy Drew. She doesn't work here, does she?"

Nancy leapt out of her seat hastily. "I'm Nancy Drew!"

The officer gave her an odd look before passing the phone to the anxious teen.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Ms. Drew." Nancy recognized the voice of Zapp Crosson instantly.

"Crosson!" she spat, venom in her voice. "What do you want? What have you done with Ned?"

"Patience, child," the villain said in a sickeningly calm voice. "I thought I might find you here. Funny, though, I thought a sleuth like you would be ready to take some action right about now. I thought you'd be out looking for your little boyfriend. But I guess you're not the great detective everyone thinks you are."

"Where is Ned?" Nancy demanded, ignoring the worried stares of the police officers and her father.

"He's alive...and I intend to nurse him back to health. You see Nancy...my revenge cannot fully be complete until he has suffered even more than he is now. But I must go, Nancy, before the police have time to trace this call. I'll be getting in touch with you later to tell you about Ned's recovery process."

There was a click, and the line went dead.

"That was Zapp Crosson," Nancy informed the onlookers, her bottom lip trembling. "He's going to nurse Ned back to health just so that he can kill him in an even more painful way. But I'm not letting that happen. I'm not sitting in the police office anymore. I'm going to find Ned, and no one is going to stop me."

With that, she turned on her heel and raced out of the PD. She had a plan.


	11. Chapter 11

Ned's eyes fluttered open. He saw nothing but darkness, closed them and tried again. He could see nothing. He heard movement from a few feet away, the click of a light switch being flipped, and suddenly, he was blinded with a harsh, white light. He clamped his eyes shut, groaning at the sudden change.

A soft laugh. It sounded cruel, taunting. Ned tried once again to open his eyes. As his weary eyes adjusted to the bright light, he saw a man standing over him. The man had a halo of red hair surrounding his head.

Despite how disoriented he was, Ned knew who this was in a second. Crosson.

* * *

Bess, George, and Nancy drove along the highway toward Emerson College. "Nancy, I don't get it," Bess said. "Why are we going back there? There's nothing that'll help us find Ned."

"Maybe not," Nancy said from the driver's seat, her eyes flickering to the passenger seat for a quick second. "But there's some stuff I want to check out-we never really got to finish talking to the students because of the attempted hit-and-run. If we find out why Ned was in that accident in the first place, or what the initial plan was, it might clue us in to where Crosson's holding him. If not, at least we can get Burt and Dave to help us on our search."

George shrugged from the backseat. "You're the ace detective, Miss Nancy Drew, so tell us what to do."

Nancy smiled slightly, despite her worry. George was always one to cheer her up.

* * *

"Hello, Mr. Nickerson," Zapp Crosson said, smiling down at the stretcher that Ned was lying on, immobile. The teen squinted up at the villain, pain written on his handsome features.

"Wh-" he started to talk but couldn't get the words out. Everything hurt.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, my dear friend," Crosson smiled, retrieving a glass of water from a nearby coffee table. He put it to Ned's lips, and the boy, ravished with thirst, drank until it was gone. "There, are you feeling better now?"

Ned glared at him, unable to move for the pain. "Where's-Nancy?" he croaked out, his voice dry and cracked.

"Oh, your little girlfriend is fine," Crosson assured the distraught student, malice in his every word. "Her worry for you is a little overbearing though. Just got off the phone with her, actually. She's just sitting around at the police station. Waiting for the pigs to find you. Not even worried enough to try and find you herself."

"You're-lying," Ned whimpered, the pain growing too much to bear.

"Now, Ned...I may be a kidnapper, thief, and murderer, but if there is one thing I can say for sure, I'm no liar."

Ned let out a gasp as a searing pain took over his body from the accident. He blacked out.

* * *

"Nancy! Bess! George! We thought it'd be a while before we saw you again," Dave said, a sad smile on his face. "How's everything going? Any sign of Ned?"

Nancy shook her head sadly. "Only that Crosson is holding him somewhere and plans to nurse him back to health just so he can kill him."

Burt cringed. "That guy is one twisted-"

"Sorry, Burt. Virgin ears here," Bess said, covering her ears, a playful smile on her face.

Nancy nodded. "Burt's right. But it doesn't matter. Have you guys found out anything else that might help us?"

"I don't know...maybe. Since Ned's been hurt, more people have reported seeing a strange, almost hypnotizing light in the woods."

Nancy's eyes sparkled. "Really? Any tales of the college kid I saw?"

"No...but we have a theory on that. It could have easily been anyone here, told that if they distracted your car they could earn a few quick bucks. There are a few guys here that meet your description and are short on finances."

Nancy nodded excitedly. "Like who?"

"Well, there's Terry Lee, Jordan Mitchell, and Gage Brannet. They're the ones that first come to mind. All muscular, all tall with dark hair and eyes, and all running low on money. D'you think you could recognize him again if you saw him?"

Nancy nodded. "Definitely."

"I'll take you to meet Terry first," Dave said.

The five friends headed to Terry's dorm with bated breath. Ned's fate depended on the outcome of these interviews!

* * *

When Ned woke up once again, he was in darkness. But he could sense someone looming over him. "Who's-there?" he muttered, knowing the answer before the words even escaped his mouth.

He heard the click of a gun as Crosson hissed, "Changed my mind, Nickerson. That Drew girl's on my case so I figure I'd better kill you and skip town. Say goodbye to living, buddy, because it's time for you to die...like you should have a long time ago."


	12. Chapter 12

Ned gasped, which sent a whole new wave of pain through his body. Crosson loomed over him, like a spider waiting for the kill, and Ned was the defenseless little fly caught in the web. A twisted, demonic smile appeared on the man's face. His finger tightened on the trigger and Ned's eyes went wide as the gun went off.

* * *

Burt led the girls to a dorm near the end of campus. He knocked, then stepped aside as the door swung open and a short, skinny guy with red hair, freckles, glasses, suspenders, and a bowtie answered. Nancy had to hide a smile as she watched the little guy scratch his head and stare at the two girls at his doorstep.  _Classic nerd_ , she thought with amusement. This guy had to be the one who created the stereotypical nerd.

The boy snorted with excitement and viewed Bess and Nancy with appreciation.

"Hello, ladies," he said in a high-pitched, nasally voice, "What brings you to the mighty fortress of the great Barney Longbottom?"

Nancy coughed to cover her laugh, then turned to Burt and asked, "Are you sure this is the right dorm?"

He nodded. "This is Barney Longbottom. Grad student, smart as they come, and president of the Dragon Slayer Computer Club. He shares a dorm with Terry."

The nerd's face fell. "Aww...you girls are here to see Terry?" A pout appeared on his speckled face. "Girls never come to see me." He pursed his pudgy lips as if in deep thought. "I don't know why, though. I can dissect a frog and extract its ovaries in less than a minute!"

Nancy tasted bile but forced herself to smile. She glanced at Bess, whose face was now a light shade of green. "Be strong, Bess," she muttered. Burt was trying his best not to roll over laughing. Unfortunately, he was losing the battle.

"Excuse me, I think I need a bathroom," he choked out, chortling. "I'll be back, Nancy," he giggled and ran toward the student bathroom across the road.

"That's extremely fascinating, Barney," Nancy lied, still feeling rather sick.

"And I can assure you that we are here to see Terry for mere business reasons."

Barney's face flushed. "Now that was something I did NOT need to know!" he groaned.

Nancy and Bess stared at him, aghast at what he implied. A deep, attractive voice echoed from somewhere inside the dorm, "Barney, you dork! Stop harassing those girls or I'll throw you out."

Barney glared over his shoulder. "No you won't, Terry Lee," he said quietly as he adjusted his glasses. "You need me." With that, he stomped out of the dorm and across the road.

A tall, handsome young man came to the door and sent the girls a look that clearly implied, "I would not mind one bit to 'get down to business'."

Nancy looked him square in the eye with a message that read, "Not in your lifetime, buddy boy."

Bess looked like she was melting, and honestly Nancy, despite her outward show of feelings, couldn't blame her. Terry Lee was-there was no other word for it-hot. Not as good looking as Ned, of course. But still, very cute. He had short brown hair that was gelled into spikes. He had not shirt on, and his large, bronzed muscles shone with a thin layer of sweat. Sharp green eyes stared out at the girls with obvious interest, and his gleaming smile was one to die for.

But Ned was better-looking. Nancy was having a hard time remembering that as Terry Lee stared her down. She shook her head and glared at the man that had almost made her forget about her mission by simply smiling at her. He could have been the guy she had seen, but she wasn't sure. She looked at Terry Lee sharply and asked, "Can we come in?"

Terry grinned again and stretched lazily, his muscles rippling. He sent the girls another dazzling smile. "Oh, definitly," he grinned.

* * *

Ned felt a searing pain in his leg. That must have been where Crosson had shot him! He mentally shook himself. No, that wasn't it. His leg had been hurt before Crosson shot him, hadn't it? It was a definite possibility.

Had Crosson shot him? He seemed to be alive-the pain clearly proved that-but he distinctly recalled the gun going off as his abductor aimed it at his head.

He opened one eye. His leg was in a cast. There was no bullet wound. He was alive, and he hadn't been shot.

He glanced around. Crosson was nowhere to be seen. So it was all a joke, he reasoned. All a cruel trick to scare the pants off of him. He groaned. It had most definitly worked. He tried to move his arm. It hurt, but it worked. That was when he realized that he wasn't bound. Crosson obviously thought he was too beat up to try an escape attempt. He grimaced. He was probably right. But, still...

Crosson was gone. Ned was not tied up. He was lying on a stretcher...with wheels. It was a crazy idea. Dangerous, maybe. Even suicidal. But it was worth a shot.

Ned felt around with an aching, bruised arm until his finger came in contact with something tall and skinny. His eyes slowly traveled up his arm and to his hand, which held this fascinating new discovery. A broom. How convenient. Using the broom as a paddle, Ned pushed against the floor with the cleaning device from Heaven. Or the other place. Only the final result of this venture would say for sure.

He inched toward the door, stopping constantly to gasp and wheeze for air. This was not as easy as it looked. He felt as if he were a stranded fisherman trying to row out of a current.

 _Row, row, row your boat_ , he thought ruefully, a thin smile playing at his lips.

The smile vanished.  _Row, row row your stretcher, painfully out the door. If you don't, Crosson will slit your throat for sure._


	13. Chapter 13

Nancy scowled at Terry Lee, wishing with all her heart that he wasn't so handsome and muscular. She stuck her nose in the air and flounced inside, with Bess floating in on her heels. After they had taken a seat on the leather couch, Terry sat in a recliner across from them and grinned broadly. "So...what can I do for you beautiful young ladies?"

"This is going to sound a little strange," Nancy began, forcing herself to look in his eyes and not his huge biceps. "But did you happen to walk in front of a car a few nights ago? A blue one? And then just run off?"

Terry laughed. "What makes you ask that?"

"Just answer the question, Terry," Nancy sighed.

"Why would I want to stand in front of a car?" he asked.

"Maybe you're in financial trouble. Maybe somebody told you they would pay you to do it. And maybe they're paying you to do a lot of other things for them."

Terry paled visibly. "Wha-? No, no way, girl. You're crazy." He was visibly upset. "You two need to leave-now!"

"Terry," Nancy implored, trying her best to win him over. "If you're in trouble we can help you. Please. Just tell us."

"I can't tell you what I don't know!" Terry insisted, now looking panicked. He shoved the girls toward the door gently. "Please, just leave."

"Terry...somebody has been kidnapped. His name is Ned Nickerson. Maybe you know him."

Terry's face turned a light shade of yellow. "Nickerson? Man, he's a good guy. He told me he'd gone home for the weekend. I didn't know he'd been kidnapped!"

"Terry, I'm positive that whoever is either blackmailing or paying you to do this is directly involved with Ned's kidnapping. The man who kidnapped him-Zapp Crosson-has a grudge against him. Ned was in that accident you caused the other night. Crosson kidnapped him from the hospital and has him hidden somewhere. He's planning on nursing Ned back to health so that he can kill him for revenge!"

"Look, Nancy, Bess, I really wish I could help-I do, but I-"

Suddenly something clicked. "Terry, why did Barney say that you needed him?"

"Uhhh..."

"He's the one!" Nancy exclaimed. "Red hair, tons of freckles; he's got to be related to Crosson somehow! He's helping him with the revenge against Ned!"

They heard someone clapping from the doorway. Three claps. Slow. Dangerous. The three spun to see Barney Longbottom standing in the doorway. No goofy grin on his face. Only a scowl and a MP5 gun aimed right at the three young people.

"Very good, Nancy Drew. And guess what? You, Bess, and Terry get to join Ned. Poor Terry. This never would have happened if Nancy hadn't let you know the whole story. You just thought you were doing silly little favors for your nerdy little buddy, didn't you? Standing in front of cars, sending prank e-mails, and getting a little extra cash so you don't get kicked out of Emerson because you can't pay. Well, now it looks like we'll all be together again one last time."

Suddenly, his cell rang. Keeping the gun on the three captives, he flipped it open. "Longbottom. He what? Okay, Zapp, I've got a few more buddies so we can have a real party." He hung up the phone and grinned manically at his captives.

"It seems your little boyfriend attempted to escape. Unfortunately, Crosson had to put him out of commission awhile. We'd better hurry up and get over there, or else our little reunion will be dampened by the permanent departure of the guest of honor."


	14. Chapter 14

Burt had been heading back from the restroom when he ran into George and Dave, who told him they hadn't had any luck with the guy they had interviewed. Together, the three friends started for the apartment across the street when a black car shot by, nearly hitting Burt in the process. As the car disappeared around a curve, Burt made a face. "Stupid driver – people should  _really_  learn to watch where they're going." Dave grunted in agreement.

The two boys turned to look at George, whose face had gone stark white. Burt felt a knot begin to form in his stomach as he realized something was wrong – very wrong. "George?"

George looked up at him with wide eyes and gripped his sleeve tightly. "Did Nancy say anything about going somewhere?" she asked in a shaky voice, sounding resigned like she already knew the answer but had to ask just to make sure.

Burt frowned. "No. They were talking to Terry Lee and his dorky roommate Barney when I left them to go to the bathroom. I was planning on coming right back. Why?"

George stared in the direction the car had gone. "Nancy was in that car! And I'll bet anything that Bess is with her – and that they're in trouble."

Dave paled. "Come on, let's go, we have to catch them!"

George ran toward the fraternity house. "You guys go, take the car!" she called. "I'm going to call the police. Looks like whoever took them left the door cracked."

Burt nodded. "Gotcha." They raced toward the parking lot, which was thankfully just across the street near the restrooms. If they were lucky, they would be able to spot the kidnapper's car and follow it  _before_  they left the campus. If they were really,  _really_  lucky.

* * *

Nancy's heart was racing but she didn't make a noise as she, Bess, and Terry were herded out of Barney's black sedan –  _so_  stereotypical bad buy – and into an abandoned warehouse about ten miles away from the campus, nestled in an alcove of pine trees. Perfect hiding place.

Barney kept the gun trained on Nancy, knowing that the other two wouldn't risk her getting shot by doing something stupid. "Inside," he ordered, his voice no longer that of a nerd daydreaming about cutting up amphibians, but of a killer. Gritting her teeth, Nancy did as she was told, Terry and Bess beside her.

Their hands had been bound behind their backs before Barney had loaded them into the car and Nancy winced as her shoulders ached from lack of movement. She forgot all this when they entered the warehouse and saw a motionless figure lying on a hospital bed, tied down. His dark brown eyes were open but unfocused and his face was unnaturally pale. When he looked at her, all previous thoughts of how attractive Terry Lee was fled her mind.

She bit her lip and fought the urge to dash across the room to his side, knowing it would be suicide for her and a death sentence for the others were she to do so. Ned's eyes met hers and he blinked as if trying to coherently express his thoughts. With what looked like monumental effort, Ned murmured, "Nancy?"

He slumped down and his face went slack as he lost consciousness.


	15. Chapter 15

Nancy felt her hear leap into her throat and she rushed to Ned's side, ignoring the threat of Barney's gun and the fact that Crosson was right beside Ned, a sadistic smile on his freckled face. Neither of the red-haired criminals tried to intercept her but Barney kept his gun aimed at her head the whole time. "Ned!" Nancy choked out, falling to her knees beside the unconscious young man. Oh how she wanted to stroke his pale, sticky brow and smooth back the few sweaty strands of dark brown hair off of his forehead. "Ned," she whispered again, her voice breaking. She heard a chuckle and awkwardly stood up, hands still bound behind her, to face Crosson, who was eyeing her triumphantly.

"Well, well, well, Nancy Drew. I see that you finally decided to stop spending your time at the PD and start looking for your beloved beau." He snarled. "Pity, really – you should have stuck to letting the incompetent policemen trying to find your boyfriend. Because now you – along with your pretty little friend and the unlucky fraternity brother – are going to die with my old pal Ned."

Nancy felt tears of frustration fill her eyes but she blinked them back fixed Zapp Crosson with her most contemptuous glare. "Why did you do this?" she asked in a forced calm voice. "Wasn't nearly killing Ned once enough for you? What do you gain by taking him – when he's hurt anyway – now?"

Crosson's eyes filled with hatred as they fell on Ned's restrained, broken form on the bed. "He ruined my life!" Crosson snapped, waving his arms about crazily as if trying to emphasize his point. Nancy glanced at Bess and Terry, both who were watching the scene with wide eyes, anger and desperation warring for domination in their expressions. Nancy couldn't let them die, too. She  _had_ to think of something to save Ned and her friends and hopefully herself, but in the meantime, she needed to stall.

Coolly she regarded him and replied, "I think you're the one responsible for that, Zapp. After all, none of this would have happened if you hadn't become jealous of Ned's invention and kidnapped him all that time ago."

"SHUT UP!" Barney screamed from behind Nancy, his high, wavering voice indicating for the first time just how unstable he really was. His finger groped for the trigger and he turned the gun on Terry, who drew himself up to his full height and flared down unflinchingly at his roommate. "O-or I'll kill him!"

"No, it's okay, cousin," Zapp Crosson soothed, taking a step toward Nancy who refused to back down. "If Nancy wants to know, then why shouldn't I enlighten her? After all, she isn't going to live to tell anyone about it…" He trailed off, smirking.

"So you broke out of prison and decided you were going to get revenge on Ned," Nancy prompted. "You tried to steal his invention – a kind of light that he created – and warp it to your own purposes before. But he escaped and you were arrested. So you were angry and decided to make him pay."

Crosson nodded, eyes gleaming. "I called up my younger cousin, Barney, who had been keeping an eye on things on campus for me while I was in prison. He agreed to help me. So we hacked into your e-mail account, Nancy, and into Ned's. We set it up to where Ned would be leaving campus right as you all were arriving. Terry here," he smirked at Terry Lee, whose handsome face was trying in vain to not show any fear, "needed some extra money so he could keep going to Emerson, so Barney made him a deal.

"When we saw you girls coming, I activated a strong, paralyzing light similar to the one that I tried to get from Ned the last time in the forest, and Terry was to walk across the road. We knew you couldn't resist a mystery, Nancy, so we knew you'd get out and try to investigate. But then the light from the paralyzing 'ghost ball' hit you and you were frozen. When Ned drove up, he had no choice to swerve off the road if he wanted his girlfriend to live. And so he did."

Nancy felt the rage grow inside of her. "You wanted Ned to get hurt. You planned to abduct him in the hospital because you already had your disguise and getaway ready," she spat, disgusted.

Barney grinned triumphantly. "Of course he did."

"But," Bess began, curiosity overcoming her fear, "since Barney goes to school with Ned anyway, why didn't you just try to abduct him another way? You nearly killed him – look at how bad off he is," she almost sobbed.

"Because," Terry answered the blonde girl, lip curling in hatred as he eyed Barney, "Barney and his psychotic crony are pathetic little cowards. They're weak and they were afraid that in full health, Nickerson could take them in a heartbeat – which he could." He glared daggers at the cousins. "You guys are sick little weasels. Ned's a good guy and a great friend. He actually offered to help me pay for my tuition but I turned him down. I didn't want him to have to do that. But he was willing to. He's a great man, and you two are just disgusting."

Crosson grinned evilly. "Well there was that – although I wouldn't try to call my cousin and I cowards again, Mr. Lee, unless you'd like to lose your overactive tongue  _before_  I blow a hole in you."

"What was the other reason?" Terry ground out through gritted teeth. Nancy's eyes darted back and forth between the muscular man that she had misjudged as shallow and "dumb jock material" and her incapacitated boyfriend. Her eyes were filling with tears and she knew that their situation was desperate. Ned couldn't die, he just couldn't!

"We wanted to see him  _hurt_ ," Crosson hissed sinisterly.

Without another word, Terry growled angrily and lunged across the floor in a two great bounds and head-butted Crosson in the stomach. There was yelling, a crash from somewhere behind them, and chaos.

 _Bang!_  A gunshot sounded and Terry collapsed under Crosson and laid completely still.


	16. Chapter 16

"Terry!" Bess screamed, horrified, as the college student fell to the ground under Crosson.

There was silence for a few seconds but suddenly Crosson began to shift. Nancy blinked, realizing that no, Crosson wasn't moving himself, but Terry was moving him – pushing him off of him. Nancy gasped when she saw the quickly reddening splotch on Crosson's chest as he flopped lifelessly to the ground when Terry stood up. Crosson was dead – he had been shot.

But by who?

There was a shout and the warehouse was swarming with blue and black clad people with guns – the police? For the next several minutes confusion reigned as Barney was tackled by several officers, Crosson's body was dragged out of the room, and Ned was released from the gurney he was tied down to by some EMTs that had seemed to have sprung out of nowhere. Before she could so much as blink, Nancy had been swept up into a hug by George and Burt while Dave rushed to Bess and wrapped him in his protective embrace.

Nancy blinked, stunned, as her friends surrounded her. "What happened?" she gasped. "How did you guys—" She broke off, catching a glimpse of Ned being wheeled out of the warehouse by EMTs, no longer tied to the gurney. "Hold that thought," she said before racing to catch up with the emergency medical technicians that were bringing Ned to the back of a waiting ambulance.

"I'm sorry, Miss," one of them said, "we need to get this young man back to the hospital stat."

Nancy bit her lip. She didn't want to let Ned go, considering the last time he had disappeared it had been when he was supposed to have been under the care of the doctors and nurses. Crosson had pretended to be a doctor and had driven Ned away in an ambulance just like this one. She steadied herself with a deep breath. Crosson was dead, Barney was being hauled into the back of a police car at this very moment. Ned was safe, her friends were safe, she was safe. Well, Ned would be safe as long as he got help in time. She swallowed heavily and nodded.

"Can I just have a moment?" she asked, her voice thin and reedy. The two technicians glanced at each other and then from Nancy to Ned and nodded. "Make it quick," one of them said sympathetically. Nancy nodded in agreement, trying to keep the tears out of her eyes.

She rushed to Ned's side and gripped his hand, a tear escaping her defenses and trickling down her face to land on Ned's cheek. She gently wiped it away, nearly jumping back in surprise when Ned's eyes opened a crack and he gripped her hand. "Nan…cy?" he murmured, in obvious pain and disoriented. "Wha… hap'end?"

Nancy shushed him and leaned over to give him a gentle kiss on the lips, the tips of her titan hair just brushing her boyfriend's cheek. "Don't strain yourself," she chided gently, rubbing her thumb across the top of his hand.

"Cross…" Ned started, eyes darting around frantically but Nancy was quick to reassure him.

"Crosson is dead," she told the man she loved, tears of relief flooding into her eyes as she realized that this nightmare really  _was_  over – soon Ned would get the treatment he needed and he wouldn't have to worry about Crosson trying to get revenge ever again. "It's over." She gave him a brave smile, one last feather-light kiss, and straightened up. "The EMTs are going to get you to the hospital," she assured him. "But they need room to work, so we'll meet you there. Okay?"

Ned smiled wanly as the gurney was wheeled into the back of the ambulance. "'Kay," he agreed, his deep brown eyes not leaving his girlfriend's blue ones until the back doors of the ambulance shut and he was whisked away in a flurry of wailing sirens.

She turned away to run quickly back to the warehouse where the police that hadn't carted Barney away were shuffling around, getting statements, and collecting evidence. She spotted a tall, muscular young man amidst all the chaos and hurried to him. She could find out how the police, Burt, Dave, and George had found them later. Right now, she had to thank Terry for risking his life to save Ned's.


	17. Epilogue

As it turned out, George had seen Nancy in Barney's car and had put two and two together, realizing that she wasn't there of her own free will – she had been kidnapped. She had called the cops and then gone with Burt and Dave who had been watching the car closely. They had managed to all pile in their car and keep an eye on the kidnapper's vehicle, following them to the warehouse, the cops just minutes behind.

The rest was self-explanatory. The cops, who had been watching the goings-on inside the warehouse, had seen Terry lunge for Crosson and had acted then and there, shooting Crosson before the red-haired killer could hurt Terry. They arrested Barney, who would be taken to prison to await his trial with no chance of parole.

Ned, of course, had been rushed to the hospital and had been taken care of immediately. He was soon settled in a hospital room, surrounded by his friends and family, all wanting to be there for him. When he woke up, the first person his eyes fell on was Nancy. She would sit beside his bed every chance she got and hold his hand, murmuring softly to the man she loved so much.

Terry visited frequently, too. Ned had heard about what Terry had done, how the young man had stuck up for him, and had been very grateful. So grateful, in fact, that when he gave his statement to the police – a few days after the incident, when he was beginning to gain a bit of his strength back – he made sure to stress Terry's brave part in the tense standoff.

Word had gotten to the dean of Emerson Campus who had also been supremely impressed, offering Terry a full scholarship for the rest of his time at Emerson College so that he wouldn't have to try and earn his place by being manipulated by "sleazy little geeks" ever again. Terry was so overjoyed that he didn't have to worry about being kicked out of school because he couldn't pay his tuition that he had pulled Nancy and Bess both into a huge hug and spun them around right then and there.

Ned had gone through several traumatic injuries and the healing process was going to take quite a while. He had plenty of family and friends to support him all the way through, however, and his spirits were high. The doctors were stunned at the impressive rate of his recovery. Nancy wasn't though. She had known Ned for a long time and knew without a doubt that if her handsome, wonderful boyfriend was anything, it was tough and resilient.

They would all come through this stronger than they were when it began. Of that she had no doubt.

**The End**


End file.
